Our work

What we do

We recruit and train volunteers to go into some of the most disadvantaged areas in London to help introduce children from ages one to 11 to the pleasure of reading and inspire them with it....

Volunteers work in pairs, carrying a rucksack full of books, and small stools to sit on. We visit each family once a week during term-time, read stories with the children and lend them books to exchange when we return the following week. We emphasise the fun element, and use the power of stories to let the children generate their own interest, which is the most effective motivation for learning.

We also engage with parents to show how important (and easy) it is for them to spend time reading with their children and take an active part in their education. In addition, we develop strong links with family support agencies in order to ‘signpost’ to families what is on offer in their community in terms of events and facilities, helping them gain access to everything from libraries to reading clubs, youth centres, grants, days out, courses, talks and workshops.